Prairie County, Arkansas

Prairie County was created on November 25, 1846 and was formed from Arkansas County and Pulaski County. Parts of Prairie County was used to form the following counties: Lonoke 1873. Other county boundry changes occured when Boundary with Pulaski changed 30 December 1848, with Monroe 7 December 1850, boundaries redefined 12 April 1869, line with White defined 17 April 1873, boundaries redefined 26 April 1873 and 27 May 1874, line with Lonoke changed 30 November 1875, divided into two districts 1885. The county was named for the Grand Prairie of eastern Arkansas.

Currently the Prairie County Seat can be found in Des Arc & DeValls Bluff(The county seat was originally located at Brownsville (present-day Lonoke County) and moved to DeVall's Bluff in 1873) and in addition the county government website is www.arcounties.org/

Cities and towns located in Prairie County consist of De Valls Bluff, Des Arc, Fredonia (Biscoe), Hazen, Ulm.

Prairie County vital records can be obtained from the Arkansas Deptartment of Health has Birth & Death records since February 1, 1914, Marriage Records since January 1917 and Divorce Records since January 1923. You may go to the Prairie County health department to obtain a Birth or Death certificates which can be issued while you wait. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Arkansas for current fees and application process.

Prairie County does have Federal Census Schedules to assist in finding out about your family tree. Government Population Schedules are present for 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880(free index), 1890(fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940.

Prairie County Courthouse and Government Records

Researchers typically forget the advantages of Prairie County court, probate, and land files as a source of ancestry and genealogy information and facts. Hidden away in Arkansas courthouses and archives everywhere tend to be the desires and worries of the many Arkansas men and women. The possibilities are very good that your particular ancestors have left a in-depth record of at least quite a few elements of their lives in the Prairie County court records. Even if your forebears is not discussed in a Court case, take into account all of the other methods which often can have lead to him or her showing up in court records.

The following details shows exactly what death, marriage, birth,, property, probate, and court records will be in Prairie County. The years pointed out below tend to be the first recognized records data for this particular county.

All County Offices Records are located in the Courthouse at 200 Courthouse Square, Des Arc 72040 or 123 Magnolia Street, DeValls Bluff 72041; 870-256-3741, unless otherwise noted. It was reported the records destroyed by an Sept. 16, 1854 fire at Brownsville but complete from 1855 and kept in fire-proof vaults.

I highly recommend you contact the clerk's office to identify hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of from time to time changing contact info. The Department Offices DO NOT DO RESEARCH. The data files are readily available to interested parties, barring private issues. Many staff will assist people in locating the resources, however it's up to the man or women to perform the basic research.

Prairie County Clerk of Circuit Court is the clerk of the circuit, chancery court, and juvenile court and usually acts as the ex-officio recorder of Prairie county. The duties of the clerk are to maintain a record of all proceedings of the circuit, chancery and juvenile courts and to prepare the dockets for courts in Prairie County. They are also the ex-officio Prairie county recorder; and is responsible for recording deeds, mortgages, liens, and surety bonds, and many other orders and instruments which involve property within Prairie county.

Phone: (870) 256-4434

Court Records:1854

Land Records:1854

Divorce Records: are maintained among the equity records (Divorces issued prior to 1950 are located here. Divorces issued after 1950 can be found at the Arkansas Department of Public Health)

Prairie County Clerk , as clerk to the probate court, the clerk files all instruments making them a matter of record in descendent estate cases, and swears in all witnesses in contested estates. The clerk, also in this capacity, maintains all records relative to adoptions and guardianship cases within Prairie county.

Phone: (870) 256-4434

Marriage Records:1854

Probate Records: 1854

Prairie County Assessor's Office maintains County tax records. These records are usually arranged by legal description and are not indexed.

Prairie County Genealogy Links

The following are web links to Genealogy and family history, Records and Resources associated to Prairie County. A lot of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Professional Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some have to have a cost. This is merely a list which has been compiled or submitted. I do not recommend or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to submit your own preferred Prairie County genealogy or family history affiliated sites.

Prairie Co. AR Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

Prairie Co. AR Military Records

Arkansas Military Records(Fold3.com) provides access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the Arkansas women and men that served. Ideal for Prairie County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.